Long-term vision required for Scottish agriculture

Scottish Land & Estates believes the country must seize the opportunity to carry out a comprehensive review of how the nation’s agricultural sector is to move forward in the long-term. The organisation made the comments as part of its response to the Scottish Government’s Stability and Simplicity consultation – examining the post-Brexit transition phase for…

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Fringe review – Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience

Faulty Towers: the Dining Experience offers two hours of capers and a three course dinner served by the irrepressible Basil, Sybil and Manuel. The chaos starts from the outset and all the usual jokes are thrown into the mix, from the rat to the jokes about Barcelona. Only grump is the lack of bar staff at the…

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Festival fringe review – Games

Games is described in the publicity as a play set against the background of “Europe is fractured; economies faltering. Anti-Semitism and right-wing populism are surging.” Recognise any of that today? With unintentional timing, Games tells the true story of the talented female Jewish fencer, Helene Mayer, struggling with herself as a Jewish sportswoman representing Germany…

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Festival fringe review – Elise

If this is the standard of production from a young troupe of actors, writers and directors, the future of British theatre is in safe hands. Elise tells the story of the troubled life of Elise Cowen, a member of the Beat generation of the 1950s. Whilst alive she was troubled by mental health issues and…

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Fringe review: The Really Terrible Orchestra

When I asked the Really Terrible Orchestra’s assistant concertmaster what they would be playing in the Fringe concert this year, she said she had no idea. Bear in mind that this was about two hours before kick-off, in St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, where a full house of almost 800 was gathering to hear the world’s…

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Festival fringe comedy review: Jason Byrne

A Fringe stalwart and deservedly sold out many nights, Jason Byrne is the archetypal Irish stand up. He berates life, his idiosyncratic working class childhood and then picks on a few brave souls in the audience to tease, mock and generally make them the butt of a stream of jokes. His quick wit and the…

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Fringe review: Paul Merton’s Impro Chums

Paul Merton may be best known as a team captain on Have I Got News For You, but he’s also one of the country’s best improvisational comedians. He and his highly professional Impro Chums take genuine audience suggestions (unlike some impro shows) and create hilarious scenarios of random nonsense that are guaranteed to have you…

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Edinburgh Fringe Review: Gusset Grippers

An absolute must for women who have experienced childbirth and/or are ‘ of a certain age’. This slick, incredibly funny show is written and presented by Elaine Miller, physiotherapist, mother and recovered incontinent who enjoys revealing the wonders of the pelvic floor and how to get yours in tip-top shape (men and women) which will…

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Edinburgh Fringe review: Jimeoin: Result!

This well-kent Irish comedian has had a loyal Fringe following for 25 years. He is a familiar face on ‘Live at the Apollo’, the Royal Variety performance, and he had his own smash-hit show in NYC off-Broadway. Observational comedy touching on everything from Trump to Jesus and some fresh new material involving the cost of…

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Edinburgh Fringe: Baby Wants Candy review

Sold out for the past three years, Baby Wants Candy’s improvised show is a Fringe classic. Performed by six energetic Americans, the show I saw was Papa Peea – a play on the new Mamma Mia movie, with roles reversed so the debate is who is the mother of the young lady in question. As…

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